Automatic attachment for feed-boxes



(No Model.)

0. S. LOGKE. AUTOMATIC ATTAGHMENT'POR FEED BOXES. No. 566,778.

Patented Sept. 1 1896.

M 1 M a m E UNITED STATES PATENT union.

CHARLES S. LOOKE, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENT FOR FEED-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,778, datedSeptember 1, 1896.

Application filed January 13,1896. herial No. 575,315. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it Til/(by concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. LocKE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Joliet, in the county of Will and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in anAutomatic Attachment for Feed-Boxes, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawingsand the letters of reference thereon, forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a sideview of a portion of the adjustable dial and its frame and of a portionof the inclined weight. Fig. 3 is a'front view of a portion of the adjustable dial. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hopper-spout, a portionbeing broken away to show a trip-valve therein at the base of thehopper. Fig. 5 is a side view of the beveled weight, a portion beingbroken away to show a vertical recess in the rear side for receiving apin projecting from the frame for arresting the further movementdownward of said weight; and Fig. 6 is a view on the bottom of theweight and its guide-frame and dial, showing the form of the grooved wayin which the weight slides.

This invention relates to certain improvements in an automaticattachment for feedboXes for animals, which improvements are fully setforth and explained in the following specification and claims.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, A represents a hopperfor holding a quantity of feed to be discharged to feedboxes, notnecessary to be shown.

B is a spout for conducting the feed from the hopper to the feed-boxes.Said spout is provided atits upper end with a trip-valve L, adapted tobe tripped at a time fixed upon, and thus permit the feed to pass fromthe hopper to the feed box or boxes.

1? is a valve (shown in broken lines in Fig. 1) arranged centrally inspout B, and extends across it from side to side, and is pivotallyconnected thereto at its lower end in such manner that its upper end isfree to engage either side of the spout, as shown in said broken lines,and thus direct the feed to either one of two feed-boxes that may beconnected with the lower end of said spout, or if the said valve isarranged to stand in a perpendicular position an equal quantity of feedwill pass down on either side of it to the feedboXes, so that each willreceive an equal amount. The free end of said valve P may be held in anydesired place by means of a pin, as shown.

R is a guide-post arranged to stand at the side of the hopper and itsspout, and is connected therewith, as shown, by means of horizontalstraps or bars. Said guide-post is provided with a longitudinal groovefor receiving a weight G, retained in said groove, as shown in Figs. 1and 6, by means of a flanged way on one side and by the flanged dial Eat its opposite side, as shown particularly in Fig. 6. Said weight issuspended by a cord M, which is attached at its upper end to a is formedso as to project and hold said weight in the guide-groove, as shown inFigs. 1 and 6. Said dial is provided with a laterally-projectingscrew-threaded pin Q, which passes out through a slot H in the side ofthe guide-post R, and has a thumb-nut F turned on its projecting end, asshown in Figs. 1 and Said dial is thus adapted to be vertically adjustedat any desired place by means of said pin and thumb-nut-attachment. Thesaid dial is provided on its face with the ordinary divisionmarks,denoting hours, half-hours, and quarter-hours, as shown in Figs. 1 and3, and the weight G is provided on its side adjacent to said dial with aprojecting pointer Vt, moving over said division-marks, as shown inFigs.l and 6, for the purpose of adapting the weight to be set Opposite anydivision-mark denoting the time the cord M is wound up and the weightset.

J is a lever having its inner end pivotally attached to theframe at Sand having its outer end project in front of the beveled side of theweight G and under a projecting pin N. Said lever .I is connected, bymeans of a rod K, with the outer end of another lever, C, pivotallyconnected, at about its center, at T, with the upper part of the frameof the device. The inner end of said lever 0 projects under the free endof valve L to hold it closed. The Weight G is beveled on its outer face,as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, for the purpose of forcing lever J off frompin N when the weight G descends far enough, and thus trip the valve Land permit the feed to pass from the hopper down through spout B to afeed box or boxes below.

In operation feed is placed in the hopper A, so as to rest on the valveL when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. The thumb-nut F isthen loosened and the dial E is moved so as to cause the mark thereondenoting the time at which it is desired to trip the valve and dischargethe feed to be opposite or register with the mark V on the guide-post R.The cord M is then wound up until the pointer W on the weight will beopposite or register with the mark on the dial denoting the time atwhich the device is wound up and set. The weight will then cause thependulum to vibrate, so as to permit the train of gears to unwind thecord and permit the weight to descend until it will engage the levermechanism by means of the beveled face of said weight pushing lever Joff of pin N, and thus trip the feed-valve, as stated. It is intendedthat the gear mechanism will be of sufficient size to cause the weightto be one hour in moving from one hour-division mark on the dial toanother, so that the device can be set at any given time to cause thefeed to be discharged at any given time by means of adjusting the dialand setting the weight, as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows: i

1. In an automatic attachment for feedboxes the combination of thebeveled weight having the pointer W, the adjustable dial E, the valve L,the lever mechanism intermediate said valve and weight and operated bythe latter, and the means for operating said weight, all arranged tooperate substantially as and for the purpose, set forth.

2. In an automatic attachment for feedboxes, the combination of thefeed-hopper A, spout B having the trip-valve L, levers O and J, rod Kfor connecting said levers, guide post R, beveled weight G having thepointer W, adjustable dial E, and the means for operating said weight,all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic attachment for feedboxes the oombin ation of thehopper A, spout B having the trip-valve L, levers C and J, pin N,beveled weight G, guide-frame R, and the means for actuating saidweight, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In an automatic attachment for feed boxes the combination of afeed-hopper having a trip-valve in its bottom, a weight adapted to bewound up, the lever mechanism adapted to be engaged by said weight inits descent for tripping said valve, and the adjustable dial adapted tobe vertically adjusted and cause the weight to trip said valve at agiven time, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

CHARLES S. LO CKE.

Witnesses:

THOS. H. HUTCHINS, HERBERT COWELL.

